Welcome to Thursday's installment of Cover 5 -- where SportsDay's college sports staff will tackle one topic per day throughout the week about the area college football landscape. To view other installments from the week, click here. The panel consists of college sports writers Chuck Carlton, Ben Baby and Adam Grosbard and is moderated by college sports editor Scott Bell. You can follow them on Twitter at @ChuckCarltonDMN, @BenBaby, @AdamGrosbard and @ScottBellDMN. This conversation is lightly edited for clarity.

Scott Bell: There were 20 Big 12 players drafted in this spring's NFL draft. Baker Mayfield was obviously the marquee pick, but with Kyler Murray waiting in the wings, Mayfield may not necessarily be the toughest player to replace this fall. Which outgoing player/open spot gets your vote?

Adam Grosbard: Connor Williams. Texas was ninth in the Big 12 last season in sacks allowed and seventh in yards per rush. Losing a second-round pick from that unit is a tough blow to a line that was already struggling to get the job done.

Grosbard: Not dismissing, just saying he has big shoes to fill and a lot of work to do.

Bell: I think Calvin Anderson could be legit, but I'm inclined to agree with Adam's choice, too. On a separate note -- why wasn't Rice any better last year? It seems like they're placing grad transfers all over the place.

Cover 5 (6/11-6/15): SportsDay's college sports staff tackles the hottest area college football topics

Baby: David Baliff might have had something to do with that, Scott.

Carlton: I'll go full contrarian and still say Baker Mayfield. He wasn't a system quarterback. He transcended the system. He really made hard plays look easy. The game had slowed down so much for him. Yes, he was that good and a difference maker. If Kyler Murray is the starter, Lincoln Riley is going to have rework the offense with a lot more emphasis on the run game. Fortunately for OU, the Sooners do have the talent to make an adjustment.

Bell: Here's a question for Oklahoma's upcoming season: Now that Kyler Murray is essentially a senior (his contact allows him to play for one year), will Lincoln Riley sprinkle in some other QBs so they're not going in blind in 2019?

Carlton: Wouldn't be surprised to see Austin Kendall get early snaps in the non-conference. And he's the better thrower of the two. But yes, it's an interesting situation with Murray having just the one season.

Baby: Maybe if they're blowing folks out, but Kyler also needs the reps. He hasn't seen heavy action since 2015.

Grosbard: Agree with Ben. Lincoln Riley is far from the hot seat, but this is a big season for him to prove what he can do without Mayfield and with less of Bob Stoops' shadow hovering over him. He'll want Kyler as ready as possible for Big 12 play.

Bell: Judging from the large sample of one year at Oklahoma, Lincoln Riley seems to only play backups when the starting QB is caught grabbing his crotch on the sideline.